'It's challenging': Surrey home destroyed in early morning fire
A Surrey home was destroyed after an early morning fire on 100 Avenue near 174A Street.
The blaze broke out just before 4 a.m. and quickly spread, forcing fire crews to upgrade it to a second-alarm fire.
“It was fully involved, so there were flames and smoke on all sides of the unit,” said Battalion Chief Scott Peake, of the Surrey Fire Service.
The 3,500-square-foot rancher is nestled between several large trees and powerlines, so Peak says it was challenging to get near it.
“We were dealing with live wires and flowing gas as well at this time. So we were having to back away from the home briefly here,” said Peake as the fire was still burning in behind him.
Thick black smoke and bright orange flames could be seen from the Port Mann Bridge.
“It's challenging for us safety wise and it's challenging, for us to actually extinguish the fire with all the trees and everything around the home as well. So it makes it a little more difficult,” he added.
Crews had to rely on an aerial ladder to knock down the flames.
“We did have reports that possibly somebody is in it, but we have heard now that there were witnesses saying that they'd left,” said Peak.
Surrey Fire Service later confirmed to CTV that everyone who may have been inside the home had escaped safely.
The crew of 24 firefighters were able to prevent the homes on either side from being damaged.
The chief says the home was abandoned, but neighbours told CTV News that a family of four lived there.
"It was a mom and dad and two kids. We've only been here for about a year, so we didn't really know them very well. They were quiet, there was a family that actually lived here. They weren't squatters or anything," said Aaron Fast, who lives next door.
The driveway was filled with debris from the home as crews worked.
Peake says it’s too soon to know what caused the fire and whether or not it’s suspicious.
“We have RCMP on scene right now and they're gonna stay until we can get a fire investigator in here and check it out,” he said.
RCMP officers and the fire investigator were seen canvassing the area for surveillance video late Tuesday morning and police tape was then put up around the home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.